Charles c



(No Modem 0; G. JONES. AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

No.562,375. I Patented-Dec. 31,1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES c. .IoNEs, or MINNEAPoL-Is, MINNEsorA, ASSIGNOR E ONE-THIRD 'ro KENNETH MACRAE AND WILLIAM B'UXTON, or sAME PLACE.

Ac ETYLEN E-GASTGWEN ERATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,37 5, dated December 31 1895.

Application filed June 13, 1895.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES C. JoNEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Generators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to gas-generat ors, and has for its especial object to provide an apparatus for holding and automatically control-. ling the production of acetylene gas, whereby the pressure of the gas in the holder is maintained at practically a constant pressure.

The preferred form of my invention, wherein the apparatus is constructed for the purpose of generating and holdingacetylene gas, is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

It is thought that it will contribute to a clearer understanding of the operation of this apparatus to first briefly considerthe nature of acetylene and the compounds from which it is formed.

Acetylene, as is well known in chemistry, is a g s which is produced by the chemical union of two atoms of carbon with two atoms of hydrogen, and is represented by the formula O H The latest and most efficient method of prod ucing acetylene, briefly stated, is as follows In a properly-constructed electric furnace finely-ground-up chalk or lime, mixed-with powdered carbon of any form, is fused, which gives a product known as calcic carbide. This calcic carbide is asolid substance and is cast into convenient forms for commercial purposes direct from the furnace. When these solid pieces of cal cic carbide are brought into contact with water, a decomposition takes place and a by-product results, in which the oxygen of the water combines with the calcium of the calcic carbide to form lime, while the hydrogen of the water unites with the carbon of the calcic carbide to form acetylene.

In the accompanying drawing, like letters referring to like parts, the figure is a View in Serial No. 652,628. (No model.)

vertical central section through the appara- 5o tus.

a 1) represent a pair of vertically-disposed telescoping sections constituting the gas holder or receptacle The lower and stationary section a is provided at its lower end with a manhole and cover a and a faucet a The section bis mounted for vertical telescopic movement within the stationary vsection a, and frictional contact between said section is prevented by antifriction-rolls (4 secured to i holds said cage 0 from displacement in the upper head of the section b, with its flange portion 0 engaging the upper face of said head to hold the cage in position.

(i represents a removable air-tight cover, secured by means of nuts and bolts (1, to the head of the section I) immediately over the passage b f represents a flexible tube connection communicating with the holder through the upper head of the section b.

9 represents annular weights, shown as supported on the head of the section b. Any number of these weights may be used which will 8 5,

give the desired pressure on the gas contained in the holder.

w indicates water contained in the section a and serving to form an air-tight joint between the sections a and .b. 9o

yLrepresents bars of calcic carbide, which have been inserted through the open'upper end of the cage c to fill, said cage.

Now, as is evident, whenever the section b lowers sufficiently to permit the calcie carbide to touch the water w in the tank a, the de composition above referred to, with the resulting products of acetylene and lime, will take place. This process will continue until the gas-pressure in the holder is increased sufiiciently to raise the section b and cage 0 out of contact with the water.

Under the above action, whenever the gaspressure in the tank is reduced by-use, or otherwise, below a predetermined pressure, the calcic carbide within the cage 0 will be lowered into contact with the water, will remain in contact therewith long enough to generate a new supply of gas, and then by the pressure of the newly-generated gas will be again raised and the generation of the gas stopped. 13 y this means, as must be obvious, a practically continuous gas-p ressure is automatically maintained in the gas-holder.

The lime products which are formed under the above chemical action will fall or be precipitated from the calcic-earbide bodies within the cage c through said reticulate cage 0 to the bottom of the tank-section a. These lime products may be removed from the tank a I) through the manhole a, while the water, if desired, may be withdrawn from the faucet (L2.

It will be understood that as the lime pro-- ducts are eaten away and fall from the carbide bodies within the cage (f, the whole column will lower, so that the bottom of the cage will always contain ealcic-carbide bodies. By this means the volume of: gas which is kept in store within the holder is maintained practically constant, as well as the pressure of the same.

It will be noted that by removing the cover (I the cylindrical cage c may be readily raised and removed for repair or for any other purpose. As already indicated, the gas is delivered from the holder in the ordinary manner from the tube f.

lVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States. is as follows:

Ina gas generatorand holder, a receptacle comprising the telescoping sections a and b,

the lower member of which contains the gas producing liquid and the upper member of which is provided with the central cage passage N, the removable retieulate cage 0, having the collar 0-, engaging the upper head of said section b to removably support said cage, and the removable air tight cover (Z, closely fitting over said passage 11 and collar 0, and serving to hold said cage from displacement, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my siguaiure in presence of two witnesses. I

CHARLES C. JONES.

Witnesses:

F. ELllIORE, F. l). lVlERCHAN'l, 

